Carson Palmer is calling it a career. The quarterback announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, capping a 14-year career with three teams after the Cardinals ended their 2017 campaign without a trip to the postseason.
It now marks a significant offseason of change for the Cardinals, who are in the market for a new head coach and a quarterback now that coach Bruce Arians also retired this week.
The Cardinals’ twitter account announced Palmer’s retirement on Tuesday.
After five seasons in Arizona, Carson Palmer has officially retired. #CheersToCarson
https://t.co/QMYluGx51O— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 2, 2018
Palmer played three seasons in Arizona after spending the first seven years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He also had a two-year stint with the Oakland Raiders, but in Arizona he found his Pro Bowl form despite another major injury while wearing red and white.
He ends his career in the top 15 in NFL history in both passing yards and passing touchdowns and is fourth in Cardinals history in both those categories. On Tuesday night, he posted an open letter to Cardinals fans thanking them for their support over the years and explaining his decision to retire.
An open letter from Carson Palmer.
Carson calls it a career » https://t.co/3tkaqIqQaD#CheersToCarson pic.twitter.com/9m8Qs5yWpQ
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 2, 2018
Palmer said what many pro athletes say about retirement: he just knew it was time to go. For Arizona, that seems especially true this offseason. Palmer’s retirement means the franchise will be on the lookout for another quarterback. They’ll be lucky to get one as productive as they had with Palmer.
